Astoria
From CerebusWiki
Appears in issues 31-35, 37-50, 60, 67, 82, 87, 88, 93 - 101, 142, 155, 159, 161, 163-165, 167-169, 171-179. Made her first appearance in the story "What Happened Between Issues Twenty & Twenty-One".
Cameos/Mentions in issues 36, 130, 157-158, 160, 162, 166, 170, 300.
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Character History
She was born in Lower Felda (163, p.2). At the age of 9 (or 10) she was given a small book with the word Kevil engraved on the cover. p. 214, Women (i173).
When she was 17 she married Lord Julius and became is third wife (42, letters). This led to her station as Duchess of Parmoc.
She meets with Cerebus in Iest and helps guide him into the Prime Minister's position.
We next see her in the upper city as Cerebus is attempting to get to the top of the Tower. Cerebus tells her to "Go Away", and *poit* she disappears. Astoria kills the Lion of Serrea, possibly as one of the 'echoes' of past events which occurs towards the end of Church and State. As Astoria said at her trial:
"Everything faded and . . .changed. And I found myself in a small ornate chamber. And there was a large man at a table. . .And then I saw. . .'The Knife'. It was like a dream . . .I knew I had to . . .the way you do in dreams. I can't explain it. . ." (issue 98)
While in jail awaiting her trial, Cerebus comes in to talk to her. Astoria manipulates Cerebus into having sex with her, but at the time it would have appeared that he raped her. She later reveals that she was seeing if Cerebus could get her pregnant. Before Cerebus has sex with her, he divorces himself from Red Sophia and marries himself to Astoria. After he has sex with her, he divorces himself from her.
Astoria leads a women's revolt against Cirinist rule in the book 'Women' but eventually walks away from Cerebus and Cirin before their confrontation in the book Reads.
Traits & Beliefs
She is a brilliant political manipulator, and extremely good at hiding her own feelings, sympathies, and motivations. For example, despite being the founder of the Kevillist movement, it is not commonly known whether she is, in fact, a Kevillist, or remains a Cirinist.
"... I believe in state-owned prostitution, pharmaceutically-assisted miscarriages, ownership of men, guaranteed minimum incomes for women over the age of fifteen and the inalienable right to self-determination within those parameters... "
Author of Kevillist Origins and, presumably, many other tracts.
Basis
Originally conceived of as a "Mary Astor character" (HS notebooks, p.2). Clearly she is based on the Brigid O'Shaughnessy character Astor played in the 1941 version of "The Maltese Falcon".
In Aardvark Comment for issue 165 Dave states that "Astoria's name came from Mary Astor."
Artist's Talks
Cerebus the Newsletter #6
"The evolution of Astoria, originally referred to as "The Mary Astor" character, referring to the actress who played Brigette O'Shaugnessy in "The Maltese Falcon". . .I gradually changed here when I realized Cerebus has a low threshold for whining. The more competent 'n' cold version was geared to complement the earth-pig's disposion.
External Links
- Wikipedia Article on the film The Maltese Falcon (1941)
